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Thursday, June 04, 2009

On the Street......Fulton St., Brooklyn

One of the tricky parts of shooting a fashion blog is the temptation to always be looking for fashion with a capital 'F.'

Although I do shoot that a lot, especially at the shows, when I am "on the street" I shoot with a slightly different eye.

When I am in a neighborhood I'm not looking for the "next big trend" or a ground-breaking style statement, but just reacting when I see a person and thinking to myself "he/she looks nice."

"Looking nice" is truly underrated; the young lady I posted yesterday looked nice, very nice. Her dress was very simple, but simply wonderful.

The young lady in today's post is dressed very simply, and yet I couldn't help but notice her in the crowded cafe where she was sitting with a friend. She looked so elegant in her simple white summer dress with a colorful floral scarf wrapped high around her shoulders. Not groundbreaking, not earth shattering, but in its own way, a very glamorous way to live a simply nice life.

To live a simply nice life sounds pretty great to me. Plus, I really, really can't stress this enough: This lady looks *effortlessly* elegant, and this seems so much more real, honest and fashionable than all the expensive-Designer-clothes-women you post pics of usually.

So wonderful to see pictures of some of the gorgeous people from Brooklyn! I think this is outside of Habana Outpost. Sart, I hope you stopped in for a bite! More pics from the BK please.

Anonymous said ... (10:19 AM) :

Agreed. She's totally elegant and classy.

suzanne nelson said ... (10:21 AM) :

Sart, your comments are, as always , very interesting and i agree absolutely about 'looking nice' and how it's under-rated. i think to look nice and original, elegant and beautiful can be quite difficult to achieve but this lady manages it perfectly. she looks effortlessly stunning.

Thanks for your thoughts.She is a very attractive woman. Great dignity.She radiates a confidence and goodness that adds to her good looks. I can see why she stood out at the cafe,The choice of background picks up the floral scarf pattern and makes this a splendid shot.Well done. Again

Wow, this woman is exuding warmth and happiness. Simple outfit, but it really seems to express her, which is of course what dressing up is all about.

Barchbo said ... (10:47 AM) :

What a beautiful photo! One of my favorites. The scarf, the light, and the beauty and confidence of the subject - I love it.

AnonymousJK said ... (10:49 AM) :

I love the lightening or should I say: Sunlighting in this pic

Anonymous said ... (10:54 AM) :

Thanks for all the Brooklyn pics! They make me happy.

And yay for simplicity! That's the perfect summer outfit.

Too many people have lost the ability to pare down. When people wear a dizzying array of colors, patterns, trendy accessories and craziness, it's often hard to spot the person. Their clothes get the attention and they're lost in the mix.

Kudos to you for shooting in FT Greene. The diversity, spirit and richness of culture in this neighborhood is beautiful and, as you've captured, people there have such incredible individual style. It's an inspiration. More please:)

Anonymous said ... (11:08 AM) :

This is a case of a great look and an even better photograph. The colours are fantastic, all integrated in the scarf.

beautifully stated! it's invigorating to see the street style pics, vs the "fashion" shots. i'm beginning to tired of so much trendiness in people's attire. give me real individual style any day! real people looking, as you say, looking "nice". not only does this lady look nice, but she is stunning.

and the color here...til i read the text, i thought for sure you were in some tropical locale!

She's beautiful and the photo speaks more to the average woman who wants to be stylish but remain very real.

Anonymous said ... (11:36 AM) :

I always prefer your on-the-street shots as opposed to the fashion show shots. I've never been a fan of fashion that looks like it's only being worn because a designer or magazine editor says it's the thing to wear this season. The lady in this picture is much more of an inspiration to me because I can clearly see her own individual taste. Her wrap is so beautiful and we wears it with style and grace.

You are so right!you don't have to wear all the expensive designer clothes or the ultimate trend to look nice! this was a simple summer dress but she looks so pretty, that's why I love all the fashion blogs of street style, they make it so easy to look good.

This is the most inspiring fashion post I've seen anywhere for a long time!

Anonymous said ... (11:43 AM) :

hi sart. i'm one of the 'nay sayers' from yesterday's post of the grey ensemble. you say in your first sentence here that it's your temptation to go get us some fashion with a capital 'F'. from your previous blogs (i've been looking since the beginning), i've never believed this has been your intention. what i *have* always seen is the result of your keen eye for heightened (if you will) style...your eye for the thing 'less ordinary'. take this as you will.

obviously, this is your blog, and you can do whatever your heart desires with it. i'm just saying that seeing shots of 'not groundbreaking, not earth shattering...' , um, very 'diplomatic' style here in this context seems amiss. yes, these are perfectly fine ensembles and perfectly attractive people. but i walk the streets of ny and bk every day where this level of style and attractiveness (in above post and yesterday) is a dime a dozen. to come here and see it too is meh. (just my opinion everybody!) it's great that you're shooting in bkln, and it's great that people who've never heard of balenciaga, and who can't afford it (including me) are now feeling 'included' in your objective with the posting of these shots, and thus are saying 'yeah! brooklyn!'...'yeah! simplicity rules b/c i can't afford gucci!!!...t/f, i love this look!...' but for me, it's not your best work. jmo everybody.

...or not that nice..i mean, sometimes people with the worst problems in their lives are those who wear the most colorful and happy clothes. to me that reflacts her optimism to life. fashion is an attitude.

I'm feelin' what 'cha sayin' here. I'd wear this and the young lady's ensemble posted yesterday in a millasecond. You know, they both have that look of caring enough to not overdo/fabulous. Yes, very underrated.

Posts like this one are my favorite. I think "hey, I have a white skirt and a colorful scarf, why didn't I think of that!" Versus, "I wish I had a fortune to spend on my clothes." I love the higher-style shots too, but these real-life posts inspire me in a much more achievable way. Love it!

not the best calves, which makes her dare to show them all the more brilliant.

Stephanie Z. said ... (1:00 PM) :

Love this pic (and not just because it was taken around the corner from where I live). But I must add a gentle criticism: This is the sort of picture -- capturing on-the-street, LIVING fashion -- that drew me to your blog in the first place. I wish you'd feature MORE pics like this, instead of occasionally posting them and noting them as an exception.

Look, I don't mind the occasional fashion-person shot. (I'd feel bereft if you never took another pic of Giovanna again!) And I know that's what's brought you to prominence in the fashion world, so I see why it's important. But a woman like Giovanna -- tall and expensively dressed -- stops -everyone- in their tracks. I think your real gift is that you can spot the "average" person who's put things together in an interesting way and capture the moment in a beautifully composed photograph. As elegant as all those important fashion people are, they now can be seen on blog after blog after blog (albeit often in photographs that aren't as artful as yours are). But only the Sartorialist would spot that great guy in Chinatown, wearing the sporty fedora, with a gold tooth, I think? Or maybe his tooth was actually missing. Anyway, it was a few years back. Most people wouldn't have looked twice at that guy, but you saw what was great about his look and brought it here to us. Please don't lose sight of that particular aspect of your gift.

And isn'it simplycity the best way to live a truly happy life? And its so hard to live by it...Check out the lisbon/portuguese blog that looks like this one:

http://oalfaiatelisboeta.blogspot.com/

Catalina said ... (1:17 PM) :

This photo is making me want to wear large hoop earrings all summer long. Love it!

Anonymous said ... (1:22 PM) :

Everything you just said there is true and i am a big fan of the understated stylish look. In my eyes this is much cooler although we all like to dress up sometimes. The sun makes all these photos look great, come to London and have the challenge of grey skies (although having said that the weather is currently wonderful) but would love to see some british shots.

Happiness is underrated. I am sick of depression-chic. She is radiant. I usually hate dresses that are cut like that at the bottom (not sure the technical term), but this photograph isn't about the clothes; it's about how she wears them.

Kudos, Sart :) The diversity of your posts is the reason I keep coming back.

Anonymous said ... (3:05 PM) :

i agree entirely. looking nice is very under rated. a popular view seems to be that if one piles on a ton of designer names that they will look high-end. There's little regard for fit or subtlety both have the power to make or break a statement.

Thanks for sharing this image of a lovely woman who took the time to put herself together.

this shoot is awesome...the light and the flowers make she looks special

Anonymous said ... (3:11 PM) :

I love this! She is very pretty, and the dress and the scarf are so relaxed and cool.Very nice.

greendress said ... (3:21 PM) :

although not trendy, her style is impeccable. a simple white dress and a beautiful colorful scarf always looks fresh and even stylish.

it doesn't hurt that she is beautiful and just looks natural -no strange pose with her feet- and comfortable.

Anonymous said ... (3:34 PM) :

How I love confidence! Yes!

greendress said ... (3:38 PM) :

Anonymous 11:43 AM

Sorry, but I think your post is rude. EXTREMELY RUDE!

Perhaps you just can't accept that this woman looks magnificently elegant and stylish without having to wear YSL, Gucci or Chanel, but that is your problem, not hers and certainly not the people who realize that you don't need to have haute couture or an expensive designer on your back in order to be elegant and stylish.

Your attitude would make us all slaves to trends and materialistic.

greendress said ... (3:44 PM) :

I feel as if I entered the Twilight Zone while reading these comments today:" hc said...

not the best calves, which makes her dare to show them all the more brilliant.

12:42 PM"

What are you talking about? What, pray tell, is wrong with her calves?

Anonymous said ... (3:47 PM) :

The only way to make this shot more perfect would be for her to be holding a cat.

She looks like a breath of fresh air, this just reminds me of a cool summer breeze. I agree looking simple and nice is fabulous in a world where lots of people over-accessorize and think they have style.

She looks great because she you can see that she made the effort to look good but she's not over-doing it or trying too hard. She looks elegant and feminine, and this is just perfect look for the summer.

skim said ... (4:17 PM) :

The photos that I enjoy most from the sartorialist are the ones that work as a composition rather than a photograph. The elements in this picture particularly speak of this, the organic pattern of the shawl camouflaging with the background that acts almost like the original inspiration of the given pattern, the humble stillness of the dress in the midst of vivid saturation, and the embrace of the mid afternoon sun on her skin in relation to her posture. Great orchestration of working parts.

i used to live in park slope, brooklyn. there are some amazing homes there with a lot of history. i wonder if you'd find some inspiration on the streets there, too.

thanks.

Anonymous said ... (4:47 PM) :

@ Anon 11:43

I wouldn't applaud simplicity because I "can't afford Gucci," but for the fact that it takes a strong sense of self to know what you like and what makes you look good and stick to it--as opposed to being a slave to trends.

The most insecure, weak-minded people I know are the ones that thoughtlessly jump on trends. Maybe it makes them feel better about themselves or validate their existence. But they have little sense of identity.

Isn't it nice that this woman is sure enough to just wear what makes her look great? She has a beautiful face and skin--and the confidence to show them off. Not some sad trend.

Thanks for the clarification, Sart, seriously. I know exactly what you mean, but I guess I've always had an idea of this site as being about, as you said, fashion with a capital F. Or rather, style with a capital S. Now that I know you're coming from a different standpoint, I see these a little differently. And she really is gorgeous.

well put. of course the editors and stylist and various attendees at the fashion weeks are dressed to impress. i like the sort of everyday aspect of being beautiful that she shows.

Anonymous said ... (8:45 PM) :

oh my! i saw this.... and she took my breath away. i was then brought back to my brooklyn days eating roasted corn here at habana outpost. this woman is reflective of an entire demographic of us (including myself) that does not buy into high fashion/trends (partly bc we do not want to AND would never be able to afford to) and yet, still embodies a certain sense of elegance, grace and INNATE style and can only come from self-confidence and inner beauty within.

Dear Sart,Shoot more pix like this--truly from the street--of inspiringly dressed people--not fashion people (though there's nothing wrong with them!) who exude a unique sense of style...seeing pictures like this from all over the world would be interesting and inspiring for us style vultures!!Igad

Wow...No need for a long explanation...that picture is stunning! She probably woke up and threw on the first summery dress she could find and said wait..its probably a bit chilly so let me wrap on a scarf. By doing so...she accomplished a very effortless but trendy look. http://thetrendydwarf.blogspot.com/

Hi Sart, as an Aussie girl making my way to NY for the second time later in the year, your shots in Brooklyn have definitely inspired me to check the place out. I want to feel what I see in your photos.

dilettante said ... (9:23 PM) :

Barbed wire with a kaleidoscopic array of daisies? Fantastic!

anonymous said ... (9:39 PM) :

what a wonderful photo!

Anonymous said ... (9:54 PM) :

Interesting contrast in the background with the barbwire and flowers. Beautiful colors captured in this photo.

I just love your blog! It's a daily read and when I forget, then remember that I haven't read your post in a few days, I'm all excited to go see what's going on!! Thank you!~ Jana fan in Sonoma County, CA

You know, the best thing ever - those clothes aren't wearing her! She's decorated herself in her garments, shoes, etc and she feels really good about herself. She's beautiful and I feel like you captured her in your photograph.

Anonymous said ... (11:28 PM) :

I am absolutely loving your photos from Brooklyn. There is such life in them. While I enjoy nearly everything you post here, I'm so much more drawn to photos of "street" style than fashion with a capitol "F".

yes, these nyc pictures have been like the blog was when i first started reading it. now, sadly, i tend to glance at the first photos and go back to 2006 to get inspiration, as a young woman, from the old man style or the women of a certain age you used to take so often . . . so yes, i LOVE these nyc shots from the last few days.

Thank you for posting such a beautiful woman! I love that her outfit is so relaxed yet sophisticated at the same time. Most of all, I love that its something that I could see myself wearing this summer. Thank you for the inspiration!

She looks great! I really like your posts lately, they show a much more down to earth-style. I'm going to New York for the first time in September and your pictures make me even more enthousiastic than I already was about staying in Brooklyn:)

Beauty! I can't blame you for capturing this beautiful woman on impulse. Habana Outpost.. I see this where all the pretty woman are at true indeed...think I'm a take another trip there asap!If she is reading this keeping doing what you do!

Anonymous said ... (1:42 PM) :

Love the colors surrounding her, and the way it brings out the vibrance of her scarf. This is one of those photos that I print out, and enjoy. Great capture!

"Not groundbreaking, not earth shattering, but in its own way, a very glamorous way to live a simply nice life."isn´t it good enough?

Anonymous said ... (5:16 AM) :

AGREE!"looking nice is truly underrated"but I just dont know how to do it I instinctively grab some garish matches out of my closet in the morning...any tips?

Anonymous said ... (10:51 AM) :

I love your comments on this about simply living a nice life. So many small, everyday decisions make or break that goal. If you don't care much how you put yourself together or decide what food to eat and prepare or order at a restaurant, or whether your home is clean, looks pleasant, and is functional life is missing beauty and grace. Many good, little moments add up to a satisfying life.

absolutely agree. sometimes you see lots of stunning fashiongoers and just trying to understand which one u would like to photograph. and next day you cant even figure out whom to catch. as usual everything is in comparison))

It's about time you started taking shots of brooklyn folk! I can't wait to see all the inspiration you'll find on its streets. The lovely lady is standing in front of the Havana Outpost in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn. keep it up!!

thanks for this photo. fyi, i have not-so-perfect calves too, not small and slender like other girls, since i took up taekwondo since i was 7. this woman proves to me that i can still look chic with bigger calves. added with warmth and positivity that are surrounding her, i am more inspired.thanks again :)